Messy Cases, Messy Lives
by kensi54382
Summary: Tony thought it was over, but it's not. What's he going to do now? A sequel to A Messy Case and A Long Chat! Read first to make sense of this story. WARNING: contains mentions of child abuse!
1. Chapter 1

Tony headed into work on Thursday morning. It had been almost two weeks since he had gone home with Gibbs from the hospital. His boss had been great to him, letting him stay until he was comfortable to leave. His dad was in prison, which was a huge relief. Everything had gone back to normal. His coworkers knew not to talk about what he had revealed, but they were still very supportive. The only odd thing now was that Gibbs had become almost human. He was far more protective of Tony these days, and he made sure that Tony knew how much he was loved and wanted. Tony liked this new Gibbs quite a lot, but he was slightly apprehensive of what Gibbs would be like at work. Tony was still seeing Rachel for therapy sessions too. She was helping him work through his past, including things that had happened before his father had started on him. They had agreed that since Tony was there, they may as well work through anything and everything that bothered him in the hopes that they would be able to give him a chance to heal properly and move on with his life. He had even met a lovely woman about his age the week before when he went to the hospital to get his shoulder checked. They had gone on a date the previous Sunday, and it had been a lovely afternoon. Tony could feel himself falling for her already. He hadn't told anyone except Rachel about this new relationship yet, because he wanted to see how things went between them first.

"Morning, DiNozzo," said Gibbs in his usual gruff tone when Tony sat at his desk.

"Good morning, boss," Tony said with a slight smile. His beloved Gibbs was back it seemed.

"You feeling better now?"

"Much better. I spoke with Brad yesterday, he cleared me for field work."

"Good. Cause we got a case yesterday, and there's a scene that needs to be processed. You're with me."

Tony knew better than to ask anything, so he picked up his backpack and followed Gibbs to the elevator.

* * *

"I spoke to Rachel last night, Tony," said Gibbs once they were well on the road to the scene.

"I know. I asked her to call you and let you know that she is happy for me to be back at work."

"That wasn't what the call was about, but she did call me a couple of days ago to tell me."

"What was it about then?" Tony asked curiously.

"She mentioned that she feels like you aren't ready to work cases involving children yet."

Tony nodded, glad that Rachel had already told that to Gibbs. He had been trying to figure out how to tell his boss that he felt that way.

"You already feel that way?" Gibbs inquired.

"I do. I just wasn't sure how to tell you that."

"Tony, you need to be open with me, okay? I know that you find it difficult to open up, but if it is affecting your work, you need to tell me."

"I can do that," said Tony. He was glad that Gibbs was still caring towards him, but not overly so. "Thank you."

Gibbs smiled. He had been doing that a lot lately when it came to Tony. But he liked it too. Tony was much calmer now, and back to being his usual silly self, but he seemed more confident and balanced than he had before he had told Gibbs anything that had happened.

* * *

Tony and Gibbs had wasted their time that day. The scene had turned out to be a wild goose chase, and the supposed leads following it were all dead ends. McGee and Bishop hadn't done much better. The only thing going for them was that they had escaped field work. The day had become dreary in a matter of minutes, with storms approaching.

"Alright, let's get out of here. We can continue this tomorrow," said Gibbs when he saw the sky outside get darker. "Let's all try and get home before the rain."

McGee was up in no time at all. He and Delilah were planning on a romantic dinner that night, so the quicker he left the better. He said a quick goodbye and almost ran to the elevator. Bishop was next. She said goodbye as she left at a more civilised pace, wanting to get out before Gibbs could change his mind.

"Come on, Tony. Do you want to stay over tonight?" Gibbs was well aware that Tony was still suffering from nightmares every few nights, and he wanted his agent to get a good rest before the next day.

Tony smiled. He definitely liked this new Gibbs. "That would be great boss. I don't really feel up to driving home tonight."

"Alright. Meet me at home in a half hour. I'll stop and get something for dinner."

Tony nodded. He let Gibbs leave first, then grabbed his belongings and headed to his own car.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony and Gibbs had just finished eating the Chinese food Gibbs had brought home when the storm started. Gibbs could see how tired Tony was, which made him wonder whether the younger man had gotten any sleep the night before.

"Tony, why don't you go find something to watch on TV. I'll clean up and come join you in a couple of minutes."

"Are you sure, Gibbs? I can help."

"I'm sure." Gibbs watched Tony leave as he washed the forks they had been using. He was glad that Tony was starting to listen to him and take his advice.

* * *

Tony was falling asleep on the couch when Gibbs came and sat next to him. He smiled a little as he forced himself into a seated position and looked at his boss.

"Something wrong, Tony?"

"I need to ask you something."

"You can ask me anything, you know that."

"Well... I need some time off tomorrow morning. I know that I just came back and all, so it's okay if you say no..."

"Appointment with Rachel?" Gibbs asked, knowing he was right.

"Yes."

"Go to the appointment, Tony. It's helping you, and as long as I know you're getting through everything, that's all that I want."

Tony looked up, relieved. "Thank you."

"Just promise me something."

"Anything."

"Don't ever feel like you need to justify yourself, especially to me. Okay?"

Tony nodded, giving Gibbs the impression that Tony still did not understand that he was an equal, not a piece of dirt that someone stood on. Gibbs left it alone though, seeing that Tony was falling asleep again. His confidence was something that was getting better, but his self-worth clearly needed to be developed. Gibbs would never push Tony, but he knew that the younger man was going to have a very long road ahead of him.

* * *

Gibbs had just fallen asleep after taking a shower when he heard a scream coming from his guest bedroom. Suddenly worried about Tony, he abandoned his water glass and hurried to the room across from his. Without knocking, Gibbs opened the door and walked in. He could see that Tony was in the midst of a nightmare, so he went over and gently shook the shoulder that had not been injured. It was something he had become familiar with in the last week and a half- Tony had had several nightmares since telling his whole story to so many different people, and it didn't seem to matter where he was. The nightmares would just strike out of the blue, and they often left Tony shaking in fear and pain that was only in his mind. Sadly, Gibbs had even become familiar with Tony's reactions. Depending on how quickly Gibbs managed to rouse him from a nightmare, Tony would lash out, thinking he was attacking his father. Gibbs had bruises on his arms from where Tony had woken up one night in the worst way he had ever been and grabbed onto the first thing he touched. That had been directly after giving Matt the second half of his statement, when the memories were still fresh, and he had gripped Gibbs' in such a tight hold until he could calm down. Gibbs had ended up whispering soothing words to Tony for nearly an hour following that nightmare, trying to get Tony to realise that he was safe enough to relax and sleep.

Now, Gibbs realised that he wasn't going to wake Tony easily. This was the worst nightmare he had had since the beginning of this mess. Gibbs moved his hand to Tony's left shoulder. He knew that he was going to cause pain like this, but he was hoping the pain would help wake Tony. Squeezing as gently as possible, Gibbs finally managed to wake his friend.

* * *

Tony woke up in a cold sweat. He was shaking and afraid, and hadn't even noticed Gibbs yet. He could still feel his father's hands on his body, could see the evil smirk on his father's face as he molested Tony. He couldn't see past his ten year old self at that moment, and the fear and pain from that day was as fresh as the day it happened.

"Tony! Tony! Come back to me!"

Tony continued to shake, but his glazed eyes finally slid up to look at his boss. After a moment, Tony's eyes returned to their normal green colour. He felt tears burning his eyes as Gibbs reached out and carefully pulled him into a tight embrace.

"You're okay, Tony," Gibbs whispered into his ear, "you're okay. It's okay."

"S...Sorry, G...Gibbs," Tony finally stammered out.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Tony. You're alright."

"It was really bad this time."

"I know, bud, I know. Talk to me, tell me about it." Gibbs already knew what the problem was, but Tony needed to voice it if he was going to be able get some sleep. He would remind Tony in the morning to talk to Rachel about it too.

"He was rubbing his hands all over me... And there was nothing I could do to stop him."

"How old were you in this one?"

"Ten," Tony whispered. He was still clinging to Gibbs, but his tears had slowed to sobs.

Gibbs rubbed Tony's back, allowing him to cling to the t-shirt he was wearing. He was quiet for a little while, giving Tony some time to relax.

After a while, Tony calmed down. His breathing evened out, and Tony loosened his grip on Gibbs' shirt. After a minute more, Tony let his eyes close. His head was resting on Gibbs' shoulder, making him feel much safer.

"Get a peaceful rest now, Tony," Gibbs whispered as he laid Tony back on the bed and covered him with the blankets.


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs didn't end up sleeping that night. He had watched Tony for almost an hour before he was satisfied that the younger man was finally asleep. Then he had gone back to his bed, with the intention of sleeping, but had ended up staying awake the rest of the night, listening for any problems coming from the guest room.

Now that he it was almost eight on Friday morning, Gibbs was making coffee. He had already made breakfast for himself and Tony, although he wasn't sure either of them were hungry. Tony was always emotionally and physically drained after a nightmare, and Gibbs had found himself feeling sick whenever he thought about what Tony had been through.

"Morning, boss," said Tony as he stumbled into the kitchen, still in his pyjamas from the previous night.

"Hi, Tony. Did you manage to get any sleep?"

Tony nodded. He looked at Gibbs for a moment, then looked away, finding it difficult to look him in the eye. "Thank you for letting me stay over, and for last night."

Gibbs put a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs in front of Tony. The he carefully lifted his agent's head until Tony had no choice but to look at him. "You don't need to thank me, Tony. I told you that I'm here to help, and if that means helping you wake up from a nightmare, then so be it. You are my friend, and I will continue to look out for you."

"I know. It's just weird, that's all. Nobody has ever been there to help when a nightmare struck, or, even to help when I was a kid going through all of it. You have been great, but I just can't seem to feel comfortable with being comforted."

"You will get used to it, I promise. You just need to let me help."

Tony smiled. "I know that too. Thank you."

Gibbs was relieved to see the genuine smile on Tony's face. He decided to leave the subject alone now, but he would text Rachel a little later to get her to press Tony about the night's issues.

* * *

Tony walked into Rachel's office building just before nine-thirty that morning. He was still tired, but the pep talk from Gibbs at breakfast had really helped him. He felt slightly better, and much calmer, now.

"Good morning, Tony," said the receptionist. "Doctor Cranston will be right out. Would you like anything while you wait?"

"No, thank you," said Tony, giving the lady a smile as he sat on one of the soft couches that were spread throughout the room.

"Okay. I'll let the doctor know that you're here then." The receptionist picked up her phone and pushed a button. "Doctor, your nine-thirty appointment is here. Do you want me to send him in?" She listened for a minute. "Okay. Tony, you can go in. I'll bring in some water in just a moment."

"Thank you." Tony stood up and gave the lady a second smile. "Would you be able to do one thing for me, actually?"

"Sure."

"I want to make another appointment."

The receptionist was shocked. Rachel usually made the appointments for Tony, knowing that he didn't really want to be there. "Uh... yeah... of course. When would you like the appointment for?"

"Monday? Unless there's something over the weekend?"

"Doctor Cranston doesn't work weekends, but I can do Monday morning at ten."

"That would be great." Tony knew he was going to have trouble this weekend. His father wanted to appeal the sentence he had been given, which meant that Tony was required to make a victim impact statement on Sunday afternoon. He had told this to Gibbs, and his boss would be coming as support, but it wasn't going to be easy for him to repeat what he had been through yet again.

The receptionist made the appointment and handed Tony a card. She gave him a smile as he entered Rachel's office.

* * *

Rachel pulled her phone out of her bag just as Tony entered the room. She quickly read the start of the message, noticing that it was from Gibbs, then opened the whole message, reading:

 _Tony had a bad night last night. I won't break his confidence by telling you anything, but I think it's something that definitely needs to be discussed. He didn't hesitate to tell me about it at the time, so I'm hoping he'll tell you too. Also, I noticed that his self-worth is still quite low- he asked me last night for a late start today to come to your appointment, and I'm sure he was fully prepared to cancel the appointment if I said no._

 _Gibbs._

Rachel sighed quietly. She had really hoped that Tony was getting past his issues with self-worth and confidence. It was something she was definitely going to need to address today.

* * *

"Hi, Tony. Have a seat. I'll be right there, after I see what my phone wants with me now," said Rachel just as the door opened and the receptionist dropped off two glasses of water.

Tony nodded. He sat on the soft, squishy couch that Rachel had in her office and waited, watching as his friend pulled her phone from her bag and read something on the screen. He saw her face go from annoyance at being disturbed yet again to worry, then back to annoyance as her phone beeped. He saw her flick the switch to turn on silent mode and shove the phone into her bag, which was then shoved into a cupboard behind her desk.

"Sorry about that," Rachel said as she finally took a seat in her armchair across from the couch Tony was sitting on. "People have been cancelling their appointments all morning because of the storms last night."

"Why? It's not even wet outside anymore," said Tony.

"I don't know. That last beep on my phone was my ten-thirty appointment cancelling for the third time in a row. I don't have another appointment until one-thirty now, so if you want to stay longer, that's alright."

"I can't stay too long, I have work today. But I did make an appointment for Monday morning."

"You made your own appointment."

"Yeah." Tony frowned. "I'm going to have a long weekend."

"What do you mean?"

"My dad is appealing his sentence. I have to go on Sunday to court and make a victim impact statement." Tony shuddered at the thought. "Anyway, that is not what I want to talk about today."

"What would you like to talk about? We left off with your mum getting diagnosed with cancer in the last session. Do you want to continue with that?"


	4. Chapter 4

"What would you like to talk about? We left off with your mum getting diagnosed with cancer in the last session. Do you want to continue with that?"

Tony almost said yes, but then he remembered the look of worry on Rachel's face after reading something on her phone. Instinctively, he knew the message had been from Gibbs, so he shook his head.

"I had another nightmare last night," Tony said quietly. He was fiddling with one of the pillows from the couch, not meeting Rachel's eyes.

"Do you want to tell me about this nightmare?" Rachel asked gently, trying to remind herself that as much as it hurt her to hear about what had happened to her friend, it hurt Tony more, and he needed to talk about it if he was going to be able to put it behind him.

Tony was quiet for a few minutes, trying to decide what he wanted to do. He knew that Gibbs was trying to help, trying to look out for him, and he appreciated it. He just wasn't sure if he was ready to delve into yet another nightmare. Tony sat back against the couch, his eyes closed as he thought about what he had dreamed the night before.

"I guess we can talk about it," Tony said softly. "I should talk about it, shouldn't I?"

"It would be helpful, definitely, but I won't push. If you aren't ready, that's okay."

Tony smiled at Rachel. She always knew how to make him feel comfortable. "I went home with Gibbs last night," he said. "Gibbs offered to let me stay the night. I think he knew that I hadn't slept well on Wednesday night, although that was more because I was excited about going back to work than anything else."

"So you went to Gibbs' house. Did you chat about anything?"

"We had takeout for dinner. Gibbs picked it up on his way home. He knows what I like. After dinner, we watched TV together for a little while. I asked Gibbs for some time off this morning."

"I'm guessing he said yes."

"He did. He told me that I don't need to ask for permission to go to an appointment."

"Do you feel that you need to ask for permission?"

Tony shrugged. It was something he had recently become used to, a way for him to deflect questions he didn't like. Rachel was used to this, and she was ready for it.

"You asked Gibbs for permission. He texted me this morning, I think you know that. He said that he's worried about you not understanding that you are an equal, not someone that can be walked all over."

Tony didn't bother to answer that. He knew Gibbs was worried, and he knew that Gibbs was probably right about it.

"How does that make you feel?"

Tony shrugged again, but Rachel wasn't going to let him off the hook.

"Tell me, Tony. How does it make you feel when someone says that you are an equal? That you are deserving of being treated as an equal?"

Finally, Tony looked at Rachel. "I want to believe it," he said quietly.

"But you don't?"

"No. Well, yes, I do, sometimes. Like at work."

"Why at work? What about NCIS makes you believe that you are a valued team member?"

"Gibbs."

"Gibbs?"

"Yeah. Gibbs makes me feel good. He hardly ever asks for anyone else's opinions. I'm always the first person he goes to for answers."

"Okay. Why does that make you feel good?"

"Because Gibbs is great. I mean, he hardly talks, and he rarely praises people, but you can always tell when he's happy with something you've done. And when he does give out praise, you can tell he's being honest."

Rachel smiled to herself. She liked Gibbs, but she wouldn't figure him for a praising type of person. "What else about work is good?"

"I'm the senior field agent. Everyone on the team asks me for advice. Nobody ever did that before I went to NCIS. And then there's Abby. She's always giving out the best hugs, and she's always whispering things to us to make us feel better."

"What else?"

"There's Ducky. He's like that uncle that is just nuts, no matter what, but you love him and trust him beyond belief. He's always got a great story to tell."

"Sounds a lot like you with the movie quotes, Tony."

"Oh, no, Ducky's stories are so much better. Sometimes, it gets to the point where you don't want to listen anymore, but he's always able to make the story seem interesting enough to continue listening to. And there's the confidence. He's our team doctor sometimes. And a therapist when we need it. Which is a million times better than seeing the NCIS shrink. He never tells anyone anything that we want to keep a secret." Tony had become much more comfortable now.

"It sounds like NCIS is good for you. You really seem to flourish there."

Tony smiled. "NCIS gave me a family, Rachel. It gave me something to look forward to each day."

"Is there anything else you look forward to in your daily life?"

Tony frowned, unsure of how to answer that question. Slowly, he shook his head.

"Are you sure? Do you look forward to going out with friends?"

"My friends are my co-workers. And my landlord."

"What about your new girlfriend? You told me a couple of weeks ago that you hadn't been able to have a real relationship. Is this a real relationship?"

"I hope so. Mandy is really lovely. She's just come out of a break-up with her fiance, so she wants to go slowly. That suits me. I don't think I can jump into a relationship without some time first, especially if she wants to know about me."

"Do you want to tell her about your family?"

"Yes. And I will, if we get anywhere in this relationship. I just don't know how."

Rachel nodded. She made a note to come back to the topic at a later stage. "Just see how the relationship goes first. Take it one step at a time, and then decide. I'll be here when you're ready to help you through it."

Tony smiled. "Thank you. You have no idea how good it is to know that someone cares enough to help."

And there it was, they were back to the self-worth issue again.

"Tony, how do you see yourself? Right now, how do you feel about yourself?"

"I feel..." Tony thought a moment. "I feel..."


	5. Chapter 5

"I feel like an idiot. I feel that way most of the time," admitted Tony. He felt ashamed to say it out loud, but it felt good to get it out too. "I feel like no-one cares, especially when they hurt me. I feel like I'm invisible most of the time. Sometimes, I even feel like I can't handle it anymore. Those are the times when I want to give up. I get upset that I had such a crappy childhood, with a mother that couldn't care less about me. All she cared about was showing me off. At least my father was consistent."

"What do you mean by 'consistent'?"

"I mean that my father wouldn't change, ever. He always hurt me, maybe in different ways, but it always hurt. He did it when he was drunk. He did it when he was sober. To him, I would always be a disappointment that needed to be taught a lesson. My mother, however, would be different. If she was drunk, she ignored me completely. They were the better times, actually. When she was sober, she would dress me in sailor suits and parade me in front of her friends. She would show off pictures of her 'precious little boy', as she called me. Nothing was ever predictable with her."

Rachel made some more notes. She wanted to revisit the issues with Tony's mother at some point, because it seemed as though Tony had been affected by her just as much as he had by his father. "Let's go back to how you feel about yourself. You said you feel like an idiot most of the time. Why is that?"

Tony shrugged. It was one thing to name the feeling, but he didn't know how to explain it. "I don't know."

"Try. Do you feel like an idiot because of something that happened?"

"I feel like an idiot when people assume that I don't know something they're talking about. I've always been smart, I just choose to not flaunt it."

Rachel nodded at the admission. In all the time she had known him, Tony had never once mentioned his intelligence. "Why don't you show it off a little?"

"I used to get picked on and beaten up when I got A's in school. After a while, I stopped letting everyone know. When I got to Rhode Island, however, it was hard to hide. Most of the kids there were really smart too. Whenever someone got an A, it was printed in the school newsletter. The student would get a commendation, usually lollies or chocolate, in front of everyone. I started to feel really good about being smart, but then my dad found out, and I started getting hurt again. I thought it had stopped because I was hardly ever home, but it was just wishful thinking."

"So, now you hide it. You don't have to hide it, Tony. I'm sure McGee would love to know how smart you are. It would make it seem a little less like he's on his own, and it would certainly give you some confidence." Rachel watched as Tony absorbed her words. She could tell that he wanted to be seen as smart, and her words seemed to give him a boost. "When you go to work today, I want you to try something for me. If it doesn't work, or you're too uncomfortable, then you don't have to continue. But I want you to try."

"Okay."

"I want you to take control of one of the IT aspects of your case. If you don't get to do that today, then try it the next time you're at work. Don't let McGee or Abby take over. If you need help, that's fine, but I want you to be in charge of the computer stuff."

"I can do that," said Tony, nodding happily.

"Good." Rachel flicked back through her notes. "Now, you said that you also feel invisible. Explain that to me."

"I feel like I'm not there sometimes, like I'm watching myself do something great, but no-one else sees it or acknowledges it.

"How does that make you feel?"

"Unwanted."

"You told me that work is where you feel good about yourself."

"I do, that wasn't a lie. But sometimes I also feel unwanted. Like I'm not really that important to the team."

"I know for a fact that you are important to the team, Tony. Gibbs would not have let you stay at his home last night if he didn't care. Abby would not give you the world's best hugs. Ducky wouldn't keep your secrets for you. You are very important." Rachel let those words sink in. "What about feeling as though nobody cares about you? Do you mean the team?"

"Yes. Again, it just makes me feel, sometimes, like they don't care. After I came up with the plan to save Ziva, not one person thanked me- except Ziva, but I don't mean her. After I saved Gibbs from drowning, there were no thank you's. Not one person cared to even see if I was okay after that. I could have ended up in the hospital with any number of problems, but no-one checked to make sure I was alright."

"And that makes you feel unloved, doesn't it?"

"Sometimes, yes."

"You know that everyone loves you, don't you?" Rachel asked, actually feeling like Tony might say no this question.

"I do, but it doesn't always seem that way."

"You know why it doesn't seem like they love you? It's because you are actively looking for that love and affection. It's not a bad thing, especially after everything you've been through, but unless they know what you need, nobody will realise that they have to actually make it obvious that they care."

"How do I fix that?"

"As long as you know they love and care about you, you'll be okay. When it gets hard, just remind yourself of that fact, and you'll see just how much better you feel."

Tony nodded. "I can do that."

"Good. We'll revisit this in a couple of weeks and see how you're dealing with it." Rachel made another note. "Now, I want to discuss this nightmare you had last night. What was it about?"

Tony took a deep breath, just as Rachel had shown him during his first therapy session. "I was ten years old in it. My mum hadn't died yet, but she was sick. I think that was one of the nights she spent in the hospital. I was reading in my room, and I had lost track of the time. I didn't even realise how late it was until my dad barged in, drunk and angry. I quickly put the book down, but it was too late. My father was already looming over me."

"Keep going."

"He must have been getting ready for bed or a shower or something, because he came in wearing only his boxer briefs. I think that was one of the first times he had used sexual abuse as a punishment."

"What happened?" Rachel could feel her blood boiling, but didn't dare show her emotions. She didn't want to make Tony any more uncomfortable than he already was.

"I was confused. We had just learnt about sex ed in class a couple of weeks earlier, but I didn't really understand what he was doing. He told me to get off the bed, which I did, and to strip down to my underwear. It had been a hot night, so I only had boxer shorts on. I didn't take long to do what he asked."

"After you stripped, what happened?"

Tony shuddered. The thought of what happened next was revolting, and the cause of his nightmare the previous night.

"It's okay, Tony. You're safe here. It's okay to talk about it."

Rachel's voice was so soothing, Tony was able to relax. "He made me stand in front of him. I had to stand still, and if I moved he got tighter. At first, he was just rubbing my underwear. It was uncomfortable, but I was wishing that was all he did after a few minutes. He spent maybe five minutes rubbing my underpants, then he shoved his hand down them and started squeezing me. At first, I let it happen. I was too scared to say anything. But then he got more confident, I guess, and he pulled my underwear down so that he could move my penis and play with my balls instead."

Rachel passed a box of tissues over and waited. She knew Tony would continue when he was ready.

"He stopped after ten minutes and left the room. I was so scared, but I didn't know what to do."

"Is this where the nightmare ended?"

Tony nodded. "Gibbs woke me up before it got any worse. Sometimes the nightmares are more than one memory that mix together."

"Was this going to be one of those times?"

"I think so. But Gibbs woke me before that happened, which I am grateful for. I ended up crying into Gibbs' shoulder until I fell asleep again. The poor guy has had to put up with this since I told him, and I really feel bad. He didn't sleep last night."

"That is not your fault, Tony. None of this is your fault. Trust me."

Tony smiled, but it was a weak smile. His pain was still lingering beneath the surface, and he knew it would take more than just a few chats with Rachel to sort everything out.


	6. Chapter 6

Tony headed to his desk just before twelve thirty that day. He had ended up staying longer than his one hour appointment with Rachel, talking about some extra issues he wanted to deal with. He was glad that he had agreed to the therapy sessions, they really helped him. He had gotten Rachel to call Gibbs on his behalf before he left, and she had explained what she wanted Tony to be doing that day. Gibbs happily agreed to let Tony do the computer work, since McGee had left early for an appointment with Delilah, and had promised to let Tony take the lead more often when it came to showing people what he could really do. Gibbs had always known about Tony's abilities anyway, having worked as a team of two before meeting Kate.

"Hi, boss," said Tony.

"How was your chat with Rachel?" Gibbs asked quietly as he came to stand in front of Tony's desk.

"Good. It helped. Thank you for listening to Rachel."

"It's alright. You know that I haven't forgotten about your computer skills, don't you?"

"Of course." Tony shrugged. "Nobody else knows though. And it does sometimes get frustrating when McGee cuts me off to explain the same thing that I am already explaining."

Gibbs nodded his understanding. "Next time he does that, cut him off and keep going with your explanation. Besides, it's easier for me to understand when you explain it since you tend to use English rather then technobabble."

Tony smiled, but chose not to answer as Bishop had joined them. "So, what did I miss this morning?"

"We were working cold cases," said Gibbs as he returned to his desk.

"Not anymore, Gibbs. I just walked past Director Vance on my way in. He gave me this file, said to give it to you. We have a case now." Bishop passed a file over.

"Grab your gear. I'll read it in the car. DiNozzo, you're driving."

Tony caught the keys thrown to him by Gibbs as he was heading to the elevator.

* * *

The crime scene was devastating. The house was small, but it felt oddly unloved. The dead corporal was in the living room, laying on the blood-soaked carpet next to an open fireplace, which still contained a few small logs. Ash on the carpet said it had been recently used. A fire poker was laying on the ground next to the body, and blood was very obviously covering the tip of it. Furniture was strewn around the room, pillows covered the floor. There was a blanket that looked like it had been torn to shreds on the floor near the window. An ambulance was outside, the paramedics treating a young boy. The victim's son.

"DiNozzo, you're with me. We need a statement from the child." Gibbs headed over to the ambulance with Tony right behind him.

The agents were already aware that the boy had killed the corporal. It had been self defence. Several police reports had been made already, regarding the corporal's not-too-subtle abuse towards his son. How nothing had been done before, nobody knew. But, now, something was definitely being done, and Gibbs was determined to not let the child get punished.

Gibbs was well aware of what the case was going to do to Tony, but after speaking to Rachel earlier, he had decided to still bring Tony onto the case in an attempt to help Tony work past his pain and fear. If it got to be too much, Gibbs would take Tony off the case straight away, of course, but he wanted Tony to see that he could be alright. Gibbs would be right by his side the whole time anyway.

"Hi, David. I'm Tony."

"Hi, Tony." The child was ten years old, and seemed to just gravitate towards Tony. "I'm sorry I killed my dad."

Tony smiled. He seemed to be coping so far, and he was being professional. "You don't need to apologise, buddy. You defended yourself."

"The police never listened to me. They always came, but they never listened."

Tony sat next to David in the ambulance. He could see Gibbs taking notes, so he put his focus on the child next to him. "How many times did you tell the police?"

David shook his head. "Lots. I don't remember how many."

"That's alright." Tony took a deep breath. "David, can you tell us what happened this morning?"

David nodded. He had eyes only for Tony. "My dad came in from work this morning. I was feeling sick, and my babysitter said I could stay home from school. She called my teacher to tell him for me. But when my dad came in, he got angry. He said that I was wasting his money being enrolled in school because I never went. That's not true, I always go. Sometimes I stay home, if I feel sick, but I always go to school. He pushed me to the fireplace, and I knew he was going to hit me. I tried to run away, but he was strong. He had me in his arms, and he was squashing me. Then he punched me, and I couldn't get away. I grabbed the fire poker to stop him. I didn't mean to hurt him, Tony. Do you believe me?"

"I believe you, David. Who called 911?"

"Me. I told them what happened."

"You did a good job, David." Tony smiled again, then stood up. "I'll be right back."

Tony took off towards the nearest bush, aware that Gibbs was right behind him. He was going to be sick, he was sure of it, so he didn't stop until he reached a bush. Tony started heaving, and then he was vomiting. He could feel a strong hand on his back, providing reassurance and comfort until he finally stopped dry-retching and sat on the grass.

"Sorry, boss," he said as he took the tissue and water Gibbs offered.

"You're alright, Tony. Are you okay?" Gibbs asked gently.

"Yeah." Tony squeezed his eyes shut for a second. "He reminds me of my ten year old self. Except, he had the guts to put an end to his torture."

Gibbs didn't push. He knew Tony was just venting. And, besides, he was happy that Tony wasn't pretending that he was okay with everything. It was going to be a tough case for him to work on, so the more he let out his feelings, the better it would be.

"You know, there was one time, just after my mother died, that I almost killed my father. But I chickened out at the last moment. I couldn't do it."

"Which is perfectly reasonable. You aren't a violent person, Tony. You are forgiving."

"Maybe too forgiving, sometimes." Tony sighed. He leaned into Gibbs' gentle embrace for a second, taking comfort from the older man. Then he got up. "Oh well, back to work."


	7. Chapter 7

Gibbs had managed to get David released into NCIS' custody before leaving the crime scene. The child had clung to Tony the whole way home, and Tony being Tony, he allowed the child to snuggle against him. Now, the child was with Abby, playing games in her lab while the team worked. Gibbs had sent Tony to Ducky for a check-up, just to make sure he hadn't done damage with all the vomiting he had done at the scene, and was relieved to hear that Tony was just fine.

"Boss, we got the statements from the police," said Tony. "It's pretty obvious that there was abuse going on. Bishop called a judge and explained the situation- David can't be charged because it is a clear case of self defence. We can release him into the custody of social services today."

"Alright. Thank you Tony. You did a great job out there today."

"Thank you boss." Tony stood up and handed a file over. "Transfer papers for David. I'm going for coffee. Do you want some?"

"I'm good. Hey, Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"If you need a break, take one. You've been working non-stop since we got back. I know this isn't easy for you."

"I'm good, just need a drink if I'm going to stay awake any longer."

Gibbs nodded. "Alright, just checking."

* * *

Tony was grateful for Gibbs' care. He couldn't help the small smile that was still plastered to his face as he walked through the Navy Yard to his favourite coffee cart. He had the best boss in the world, no doubt about it. Gibbs was tough when it was needed, but fair and caring as well. His punishments were justified and never cruel, yet they were effective and most people never made the same mistake twice. It was nice to be in his company, even if he was being a grump at the time. Gibbs was Gibbs, and he hoped that would never change.

"Agent DiNozzo?"

Tony turned to find David and the social worker behind him.

"Hi. Is something wrong?"

"Actually, David wanted to tell you something. I told him he should have just said it to Agent Gibbs while we were upstairs, but he insisted on telling it you."

"I'm listening."

"I lied about something when you came to my house today," said David. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Tell me what it is."

"Uh... well... I killed my dad, but it was because he was hurting me."

"I know, you already told us that."

"He was hurting me, but not the way I said."

"How was he hurting you, David?"

"He was touching me... on my private spot..."

Tony went to reassure the child, but as soon as he stood up from where he and David had sat on a bench, he felt dizzy and sick. He could feel fear rising inside him at the same time that someone grabbed his arms and steadied him.

"Agent DiNozzo? Are you okay?"

Tony was shaking as he realised that he was at work, in the Navy Yard, not back in his childhood home. He looked up to find the social worker in front of him, her kind eyes staring at him.

"I'm... I'm alright. Just tired, and maybe a little unwell." Tony smiled weakly. "David, I know that it was hard for you to say that, so thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. I'll add it to your statement."

"Thank you, Tony." David hugged him for a second.

"Hi, David," said Gibbs as the child let go of Tony. "Saying goodbye?"

"Yeah. Tony's fun."

"He sure is, bud, he sure is."

Gibbs smiled at the child, then looked up at the social worker. The look on her face, combined with the pale tone to Tony's skin told him that something had happened. He nodded at the social worker, said goodbye, then pulled Tony back down onto the bench with him.

"Hey, what happened?" he asked quietly.

"Flashback," Tony whispered. "David, he said that he lied about how his father was hurting him. I asked, and he said that his dad was touching his private spot. I couldn't help remembering it. I'm sorry."

"Do not be sorry. Tony, this case is not going to be easy on you. You are going to remember things that you don't want to, but that's okay. You have me to lean on, and Rachel will be there for you too. It's going to be okay."

"I hope you're right, Gibbs. I really do."

"You'll be okay. Now, let's get you some coffee and head back up. We'll amend David's statement and start investigating these police reports. Do you want off the case?"

Tony shook his head. "No, I'll be alright."

"I thought so. Let me know if you need help." Gibbs stood and ordered two cups of coffee. He handed one to Tony, then walked back to the office slowly, watching his senior field agent from the corner of his eye.

* * *

The day was over. Finally. Everyone was exhausted. The reports they were looking over were going nowhere, and any hope they had about getting some answers for David had been dashed.

"Go home, you two. I'll see you on Monday," said Gibbs finally.

Bishop was up in a heartbeat. She had a date with Qasim that she was excited about. "Bye," she said as she danced to the elevator.

Tony stood up, less hurried, and gathered his belongings. "You'll still be there on Sunday?"

"Of course. Do you really think I'll let him hurt you again? He's lucky he's in prison, because I'd love to put an end to your suffering for you."

Tony smiled. "I don't really want you to go to prison, boss."

"Who said I would go to jail? Nobody would ever know it was me."

Tony laughed. "Good night, boss." He left with that statement, feeling somewhat better.


	8. Chapter 8

It was Sunday morning, and the courtroom was empty, except for a few people. Tony was sitting in the front row with Gibbs. He was glad that his boss was with him, because he was a ball of nerves at that point, and he really felt uncomfortable. He just wanted the day to end already.

"Tony, calm down," said Gibbs softly. "Nothing will happen here, I promise."

Tony nodded. He could see a few armed security guards and a couple of bailiffs in the room. Matt was sitting next to the prosecutor in front of him. The defence lawyer was sitting at his table, to the side of the prosecutor, reading a piece of paper. Tony could see a smug look on his face, and it made him feel sick.

"Bailiff, bring in the defendant," said the judge after he shuffled his papers.

A moment later, Senior walked in, glaring at everyone, and sat down with his lawyer. He was looking smug too.

The judge cleared his throat, then said, "Mr DiNozzo, you wish to make a statement about why you should be released from prison, is that correct?"

"It is, your honour."

"Very well, make your statement, and I will take it into account when making my decision."

Senior stood up. "I haven't done anything wrong. I've been imprisoned based on lies told by my son. I believe that it is unfair that I am in jail, for absolutely no reason at all, and he is running around, free as a bird, telling lies to everyone around him. He should be the one in trouble, not me."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, your honour." Senior sat down, smirking.

"Mr Johnson," the judge said to the prosecutor. "I believe that you have a few things to say also?"

"I do. I also have someone who wishes to make a victim impact statement."

"Very well. They may do that after you have said what you need to say."

Johnson stood up and looked at the defence table for a minute. "We have Anthony DiNozzo, junior's medical records here. It shows a number of visits to the ER as a child. Each visit has photos attached, showing bruises in odd places for a simple accident. The file states that he had a broken arm at one point that wasn't medically fixed, as well as a broken leg, that was broken twice in the same place. That was only fixed after the second break, when the child was brought in to the ER by a nanny. He was ten at the time. We have statements here from several staff members employed by Anthony DiNozzo, senior, both past and present, that state the senior DiNozzo physically abused his son most days until the child was sent to military school at the age of twelve. We have a statement here from the junior DiNozzo himself that talks, in detail, about the abuse he suffered, both physical and sexual. We have surveillance footage of the senior DiNozzo beating his son in the front yard of a federal agent's home, as well as a statement from a woman that witnessed Mr DiNozzo hit his son inside the same home. We have a medical report from the junior DiNozzo's doctor that states the injuries sustained after the front yard attack, as well as a statement that the younger DiNozzo made an outcry statement to his doctor about a confrontation that turned into a fight with his father, resulting in several more injuries to his stomach, most of which were internal."

"Okay. Anything more?"

"We have plenty more evidence of the senior DiNozzo's abusive behaviour towards his son, which we will happily give to you should you want to see it."

"Maybe later. Is your witness ready?"

"Yes." Johnson turned to Tony and beckoned him forward, making room between himself and Matt for Tony to stand there. "This is Anthony DiNozzo, junior. He prefers to be called Tony."

"Tony, are you ready to make your statement?" the judge asked, his tone completely different now. It was much softer, and there was a clear look of admiration on his face.

Tony nodded. "Yes, your honour."

"Very well. You may begin when you are ready."

Tony took a deep breath. He was shaking, the paper in his hand almost falling to the floor. He was terrified right then, and couldn't look at anybody other than the judge. "I have been trying so hard to forget," Tony said, finally turning to look at his dad. "I've tried to forget what you did to me, tried to put it behind me so that I could move on. I tried so hard. But it isn't possible to forget. Little things make memories and flashbacks occur. I have constant nightmares that drain me physically and emotionally. I trusted you. You are my father, you're meant to protect me. So why didn't you? Why did you hurt me? I was nine years old. You abused me for three years, took away my childhood, if you can call it that. You made me do things no child should ever have to do. You made me stand in front of your friends, completely naked, just so they could decide if they wanted to molest me and rape me. You let them do it too. How can you do that to a child? How can you do that to your own son? Do you not see what you've done to me? Of course you haven't, because if you had, you wouldn't have done it again. You wouldn't have come back into my life, the life that I had finally made for myself, where I have friends and people that love and care about me. You wouldn't have punched me hard enough to cause bruising to my organs. You wouldn't have dislocated my shoulder or given me a concussion. And I wouldn't be here now, making this statement. I wouldn't be having trouble at work because cases remind me of what you did to me. I wouldn't have to see a therapist to work through all of this. I wouldn't be stuck living a life that I don't want to live. It's all your fault, and I hope that you pay for what you did. You don't deserve to be out in the world, free to do whatever you want."

Tony dropped his paper onto the table next to Matt. He could feel tears burning his eyes as he fought to control them. He could feel tears that had slid down his face while he was talking. He was shaking more now, fear and hurt and anger coursing through his body. Memories were surfacing that he couldn't stop at that point. He was scared.

"Thank you, Tony," said the judge gently. "You can sit down."

Tony shot back to his seat. He felt Gibbs' hand on his arm. It was warm and reassuring. Tony relaxed a little, and allowed his tears to flow freely.

"Anthony DiNozzo, senior, I have made my decision," the judge said after a few minutes of silence. "Stand up."

Senior and his lawyer both stood. It was clear that they were worried about the verdict.

"Mr DiNozzo, I don't need any more information. Your appeal has been heard, and after hearing it, I have decided that your sentence stands. You will serve out the original sentence of twenty years in prison, and you will also be required to pay a sum of ten thousand dollars to your son within the next two years to compensate for the damage you caused. Once you are out of prison, you will be served with a restraining order to the effect that you will not be allowed within five hundred feet of your son. You are not to call or otherwise contact your son while in prison and once you are out. Do you understand?"

"Yes," said Senior angrily.

"Good. Furthermore, I would like to express my deepest sympathies to you, Tony, and my apologies for everything you have been through. I pray that you will find peace. Thank you for being brave and for making your statement today. This court is adjourned." The judge stood up once the bailiff had led Senior away. He was disgusted by the man's behaviour, and he felt truly sorry for Tony.


	9. Chapter 9

Tony was relieved to be home. Gibbs was with him, for which Tony was immensely grateful. It was a comfort that he hadn't realised he needed. He knew tomorrow was going to be hectic, knew that telling Rachel what had happened wasn't going to be easy at all.

"Tony, are you hungry?" Gibbs asked from the kitchen.

"Not really. But if you are, you can eat. I'm not bothered."

"If you change your mind, just say so. I'm in here if you need me."

"Thank you." Tony curled up on the couch and put on a movie. It was his way of escaping his reality.

* * *

Senior had been put back into general population in prison. He was angry about it. The guards hated him and had spread the word that he was a child abuser. The other prisoners were threatening him already, and he was getting a little worried. The loudest threat had come from his cell mate, and the threat had been of making Senior experience what he had put Tony through.

"Welcome back, big shot," said the cell mate, Johnny. "I missed you. I heard your appeal didn't get you anywhere."

"Shut up!" shouted Senior from his place on the top bunk.

"Why?" taunted Johnny. "Scared that I'll make you feel everything that you did to your kid?"

"I said to shut up!"

"And if I don't?"

"You'll regret it."

"How? Are you going to beat me up? Molest me?" Johnny laughed. "I'd like to see you try."

"Really? You would? I can arrange that." Senior jumped down to the ground, a malicious grin on his face. "Stand up."

Johnny shrugged as he stood. He wasn't scared. "Go ahead."

Senior made a fist and swung, but Johnny moved out of his way. He laughed at Senior.

"That was your best shot?"

"No, this is." Senior kicked out and hit Johnny's knee, making the guy fall to the ground. "Satisfied? Do you need more?"

Johnny swore at Senior as he got back up. The cells were open for the prisoners to have some free time, and as he got up, he called to the few friends he had made in the year he had been there. Before the guards could act, however, ten prisoners, including Johnny, were on Senior, punching and kicking him until he was unconscious.

* * *

Tony had just fallen asleep when something woke him up. He sat up in his bed, then realised that his alarm was going off. Checking the time, Tony saw that it was nine am.

"Why did I make the appointment for this morning?" he grumbled to himself as he got out of bed and headed for his shower.

A few minutes later, Tony found himself in the kitchen, drinking the coffee that Gibbs had put in front of him. He hadn't realised that his boss had stayed the night, but he was grateful for it anyway.

"What time was your appointment with Rachel today?" Gibbs asked.

"How do you know...?"

"You told me last night. Don't you remember that?"

"Yeah, I do. Sorry, I'm just really tired, that's all. The appointment's at ten. Why?"

"I'll drop you off and wait there for you. We can go to work together."

"You don't have to do that, Gibbs."

"But I will. You need the support, Tony, and sometimes, you need to ask for help, okay?"

"Alright," Tony said a moment later. "Thank you."

* * *

The drive to Rachel's office had been made in silence. Tony had been half asleep still, and Gibbs was lost in his own thoughts. It wasn't until the two men were sitting outside Rachel's office that they spoke.

"I'll be out here if you need me," said Gibbs quietly. "Even if it's to tell Rachel about yesterday's events. Alright?"

Tony nodded. "I know, Gibbs. Thank you."

Gibbs held Tony's gaze for a moment, but then seemed satisfied that Tony was being truthful.

"Tony, you can go in now," the receptionist said.

"Thank you, Claire." Tony stood up and headed to Rachel's office. He paused for a moment to take a deep, calming breath, then entered the room.

"Hey, Tony. Come and sit down," said Rachel. She was already in her seat.

Tony sat down on the soft couch again. "Thank you for this."

"Stop thanking me, Tony. I told you that there's no need for thank you's. You need help, and it's my job to help people."

"I know that, but it's nice to be thanked."

Rachel sighed, but she was smiling. "In that case, thank you, Tony, for your kind words."

"Meanie," joked Tony, though he was now feeling happier.

"Did I see Gibbs out there?"

"Yes. He's waiting for me so we can go to work together. He really is the best boss in the entire world, you know?"

"I know. Alright, let's start. I know you made this appointment to talk about what happened in court yesterday. Let's start with the judge's decision."

"Actually, it was a good decision. My dad is staying in prison for his twenty year sentence, and now he has to pay me ten grand in compensation, not that I think I'll ever see that, he isn't allowed to contact me in any way, and he will end up with a restraining order when he is released."

"That's good. Is it a relief for you?"

"Yes." Tony sighed. "I just want to know why he did it. I mean, what could possibly be the reason?"

"Think back to when you and I were first talking about what he did to you. Do you remember the look on his face when I said that I thought he abused you because he couldn't get it up for another adult?"

Tony shook his head. "I think that was after he punched me."

"Right. He looked so angry, yet shocked. It isn't the first time I've seen that look on someone's face after the truth has been revealed."

"So, in other words, he took out his frustrations on me. That was the reason?"

"I believe so, yes. It's a crappy reason, I know, but you'd be surprised how many child abusers do what they do for that reason."

"He ruined my life, Rachel."

"He did, I know. Tell me about what happened in court. Did he talk?"

"He tried to say that he didn't do anything wrong at all, that I made up lies to put him in jail."

"I know that's not true. What did the prosecutor say?"

"He told the judge that he had my medical records from when I was a child, as well as my current medical records. He said he had statements from staff, past and present, in my dad's house, as well as my statement and a statement from my doctor. He said he had a statement from you and video footage of my dad attacking me in Gibbs' front yard."

"Did you make that statement you mentioned?"

"Yes. It was so hard to stand there and look at him, Rachel. It was so hard."

"I bet it was. But you still did it?"

"Yes."

"Then you should be proud of yourself. You stood up to him and told him what he did to you. You were brave, Tony. Not many people at all would do that."

"I don't feel proud."

"And that would be normal after everything you've been through. Just keep telling yourself that you did a good job in court, and you'll see how quickly you feel proud of yourself."

"Are you sure?"

"Very. Now, I know that self-worth is a big issue for you, and after what you went through as a child, I can't say that I'm surprised. How you turned out to be a decent, loyal, caring person when you had no-one to guide you is beyond me, but that is exactly what you are. You need to remember that, because you need to see how much you are loved. You are a human being, and that automatically gives you the right to be valued. Do you understand that?"

"Of course."

"Good. I think you need to work on building up that feeling of being worthy, but it's not something that can be done overnight. Are you willing to try to rebuild that self-worth?"

"Yes."

Rachel nodded. She gave Tony a smile. "Then let's get started on it."


	10. Chapter 10

It had been a productive hour with Rachel. She had gotten Tony to think about why people like Gibbs trusted and valued him, about why people like McGee and Bishop looked up to him. She had gotten him to think about why people like Abby loved him and cared for him. When he had left, Tony was happier than he had been in a very long time. He was sure that he would be confident in time if he continued to see Rachel.

"Tony, you okay?"

Tony shook his head and looked to Gibbs. "Sorry?"

"Did you even hear a word of what I said?"

"Not really."

"That's alright. It wasn't important. What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, uh, just a few things Rachel said to me today. At the start of this, I wasn't sure about spilling my guts to someone when I wasn't sure I believed in psychology. But, now, I think I underestimated how much of a help therapy can be. Rachel is really good at getting me to realise things I wasn't even aware of. I know she hates listening to what happened to me, but she hides it really well and she's always professional. It's no wonder she has such a good reputation."

"Nice to hear that you're actually working with Rachel and not against her." Gibbs returned his attention to his computer screen. "But right now, I need you to focus. We've got a lead on some of those reports from David's case."

"Anything useful?"

"One woman, a neighbour, said she heard David screaming for help once. She called 911 and reported it, but they showed up to find a calm home and a father/son quality time happening. They didn't find anything suspect, David didn't make any complaints, and he had no bruises on his body. Yet, the next day, the neighbour saw David limping over to help her with some work in her garden, and she noticed bruises all over his arms. She again called the police, but nothing happened. I want you to check into that, find out who came out for the call and then see why nothing was done. And, Tony, I want you to tell me if you need off this case, alright?"

"I'm good. I'll get right onto it. Where's Bishop and McGee?"

"McGee's home, looking after Delilah. She got sick over the weekend. Bishop's in MTAC. When she gets down here, I'll give her another of the leads to work on."

"Okay. I might call McGee, check in on Delilah while I'm working."

"Good idea. Tell McGee I said he can take the rest of the week off too, if he needs."

Tony nodded. He picked his phone up and quickly sent a text to his friend, then used his desk phone to call Metro PD.

* * *

Half an hour later, Tony was finally taken off hold and his friend answered the call.

"Detective Matthew Jones speaking. Who is this?"

"It's Tony, Matt. Are you able to talk for a moment?"

"Of course. Are you alright? Do you need me to come after your father again?"

"No. I'm following up on a lead for a case. I need to know who came out to a domestic violence call at the residence of Corporal Harry Wallace. The incident in question was on the night of July fifth, a little after ten pm."

"Give me a second, Tony."

Tony waited while Matt typed on his computer.

"Got it. The responding officers were Janet Arnold and Steven Inglan. Since that call, Inglan has been promoted to detective in the same precinct as me, so I'll get you his number."

"What about Arnold?"

"Still an officer. I'll see if I can find a number for her supervisor."

"Thanks, Matt. There was a second call out the next day, around lunch time, to the same address. Was it the same officers that responded?"

"Yes," Matt said a moment later. "Both incidents were written up as paranoia on the neighbour's behalf. What's going on, Tony?"

"The kid that was the victim for both calls, plus countless others, killed his father last Friday in self-defence. The corporal was abusive. We're trying to figure out why the situation had to reach this point when it could so easily have been prevented if the police had just done their jobs."

"Let me see what else I can dig up, Tony. I'll call you if I find anything, and I'll email you the details for Detective Inglan by the end of the day. If I can find Arnold, I'll send her details as well."

"Thank you, Matt. It's nice to have a friend in Metro."

"Good luck, Tony. And, if you need to talk, just tell me. I'm happy to help."

"I know. But, I'm good at the moment. I've got Gibbs here if I need anything."

"Alright. Tell Gibbs I said hi, and I'll call when I get something."

"Bye, Matt."

"Bye."

Tony hung up and gave Gibbs a smile. "Matt says hi."

"Did he provide you with any information?" Gibbs asked.

"Not a lot. He found the two officers that responded to both call outs. One is a detective in his precinct now so he's going to email me the details. The other is still an officer, he'll email details if he finds the supervisor. And he's going to do some digging to hopefully find anything useful."

"Great. Now, while you wait, why don't you try to do digging as well? I'll call the neighbour and see if she is willing to talk to us."

"Of course, boss." Tony smiled happily. Normally, Gibbs would have given that task to McGee, just to stop the other agent from getting upset. He was excited at the prospect of being able to show off his computer skills.


	11. Chapter 11

Tony hummed a tune quietly as he worked for the next hour. He was amazed at how much he had found out about the dead corporal from just a simple google search of his name. There were tons of results- not all of them about the corporal, of course- but majority of the results were perfect sources of information. Tony hadn't even begun to use his skills yet; he was too busy reading through the news articles and court case that he had found.

"Tony, you find anything yet?" Gibbs asked as he entered the bull pen with a sheet from Abby.

"Our corporal was sued a few years ago by the widow of one of his Marines," said Tony. "She felt that the corporal had hidden the truth about her husband's death, so she sued him for damages when the police wouldn't help her."

"Call a judge and get that case file."

"That's not all. I also found some news articles about him. Most of them are good- pretty much just commendations and accolades. But there are some that aren't so positive. One of them was about his court case. A couple of others are about something to do with drugs. I'm going to dig into those ones and see if I can't find out anything else about them."

Gibbs smiled. "Good job, Tony," he said as he took the printouts of their dead corporal's court case back to his desk. "Let me know what you find."

"I will, boss."

Tony returned his attention to his computer. He finished reading the last news article that he had found, then brought up the FBI's database.

* * *

Twenty minutes into his search, Tony looked up to find Bishop and Gibbs talking to some guy in a suit. Further scrutiny told Tony that he was a lawyer, probably the dead corporal's one, since Gibbs had agreed to help look into the court case while Tony continued looking into why he had been tied up with drug articles. Since the guy didn't concern him right then, Tony looked back at his computer. On his screen was the FBI's case list- something that he had ended up hacking into when the FBI had refused to give him any answers. Tony had found a couple of cases that directly linked up with his news articles, and he was just starting to get into them.

"Tony, this is the dead corporal's lawyer," said Gibbs irritably. "Can you please show him to the conference room while I get coffee?"

"Sure, boss." Tony smiled at the man while he locked his computer to avoid anyone seeing what he had been doing. "Let's go, Mr...?"

"Hanson," said the lawyer.

"Mr Hanson. I'm Agent DiNozzo. Follow me, please." Tony led the lawyer to the conference room, trying very hard to ignore the man's constant criticisms of everything they passed on the way. "Please, have a seat. There's tea and coffee on the bench. Agent Gibbs will be with you shortly."

"Why can't you help me? Why do I need to wait who knows how long until your Agent Gibbs returns?" Hanson asked rudely.

"Agent Gibbs wishes to speak with you, and I have work to get back to. Please, make yourself comfortable," replied Tony in as nice a tone as he could muster before closing the conference room door behind him.

* * *

"Poor Gibbs," said Tony when he got back up to his desk. "I can't imagine how he's going to keep his cool in there."

"You wanted to kill the guy too?" asked Bishop.

"Yes. He's rude."

"Tell me about it," said Gibbs. "Sorry to do that to you, Tony."

"It's alright. Good luck in there."

Gibbs smiled. "I don't need luck. I need him out of this building."

"Do you need some back-up?"

"If I do, I'll call you. Have you gotten anywhere with those news articles?"

"I'm looking into some of the FBI's cases at the moment. It's possible that I've found something, but I need to actually look into it before I'll know for sure."

"Alright. Keep working, and let me know. If either of you need me, call me and I'll come right away."

"Okay, Gibbs," said Bishop as she returned to her work.

Tony nodded and re-focused on his efforts to find more information about how their dead corporal was connected to a drug smuggling ring. Something was nagging at him about the drugs, and he really wanted to know more...

"Boss!" Tony called.

"Yeah, Tony?"

"I need to talk to David again."

"Can it wait until I'm done?"

"No."

"Alright. Bishop, can you deal with that lawyer please?"

"Sure, Gibbs," said Bishop. She knew that arguing would get her nowhere- there was something going on that only Tony and Gibbs knew about, and it seemed as though Gibbs wasn't planning on letting Tony go anywhere without him.

"Thank you, Bishop." Gibbs smiled at her. "I appreciate it."

"Of course."

* * *

Tony was glad that Gibbs had come with him to see David. The questions he had for the ten year old were going to be hard on the both of them, and he needed the support at the moment. If his reaction the previous Friday was anything to go by, Tony wouldn't be able to get through another conversation relating to David's abuse on his own.

"Tony, is something wrong?" Gibbs asked as they pulled up to the home that David was living in temporarily.

"No, but there are some questions I want to ask David that aren't going to be so easy," answered Tony tiredly.

"We don't have to do this."

"I know that, but someone has to do something to help."

"You know that I'm here if you need me. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you, Gibbs." Tony gave a smile to his boss as they got out and joined David's social worker.


	12. Chapter 12

"Is something wrong Agent DiNozzo?" asked the social worker.

"No. I actually need David's help with something," answered Tony.

"He's pretty sad. I think seeing you will cheer him up."

"I sort of miss him," admitted Tony. "I don't know what it is, but David really made me smile and feel better about things."

"He's in his room. He refuses to come out unless it's a meal time. You're welcome to go in there."

"Thank you." Tony smiled and stepped through the open door of David's room. "Hi, David," he said cheerfully.

The ten year old looked up from a book he had been reading on his bed. "TONY!" he shouted before flinging himself at the agent.

"Missed me, did you?" asked Tony with a laugh.

"Yes. Are you here to take me home with you?"

The innocent question caught Tony by surprise. "Sorry?" he asked.

"It's a long weekend soon and nobody wants me. I heard people saying I would have to go to an orphanage if nobody takes me in before the weekend."

"Is that why you're sad?"

David nodded. "I like Jessie, but I want to stay with someone that cares about me."

"Jessie? You mean the social worker?"

David nodded again. "Can I come home with you?"

"I'm not sure," said Tony thoughtfully. "I've never been in this situation before. No child from any case that I have ever worked on has liked me, let alone wanted to come home with me. I'll have to speak to some people before I can give you an answer to that question, David."

"Okay. I understand. I don't want you to get into trouble."

"Why would I get into trouble?"

"If you take me with you, and that's against the rules, then you will be in lots of trouble. I like you, so I don't want you to get into trouble."

Tony had to smile. The child was so sweet. "Thank you, David." Tony took a deep breath. "Actually, David, the reason I came here today was to ask you some questions. Not about everything that just happened- these questions are about some things that your father may have done."

"Bad things?"

"Possibly."

"What do you want to know?"

Tony hesitated for a moment. He hated putting a child in any position that was uncomfortable. "Well, David... I found some news articles about your dad... Not good ones; they were about drugs. I wanted to ask you if you have ever seen your dad, or anyone else for that matter, doing strange things in your house."

"My dad always had these two people over. One boy and one girl. I don't know who they are, but they did come to our house two times in police clothes."

"Do you remember their names?"

"I heard my dad call one of them Steven. I don't remember the girl's name. I'm not sure if my dad ever said her name."

"Can you tell me what these two people looked like?" Tony had a notepad out to take notes, but he had the feeling that he knew exactly who David was talking about.

"Well, the boy was tall," said David as he thought hard. "He had short, brown hair... kind of like yours, Tony."

"Okay. Keep going."

"He always did something weird with his hand whenever my dad went anywhere near the desk in his office. It was like the boy was going to grab something from his side."

"Which side, David?"

"Uh... his right side, I think."

"Anything else about this boy?"

David shook his head. "But, I can tell you about the girl, Tony."

"Tell me whatever you can remember, David."

"She was nice to me the first time they came to our house. I was in the living room, doing homework when they came in with my dad. She said hello to me."

"Do you remember what she looks like?"

"She has long hair. It's black and shiny all the time. But, she ties it up, so it kind of reminds me of a horse's tail. When she walks, her hair goes from side to side."

Tony had to hold back a laugh. "Right. Can you remember her face?"

David screwed up his nose and eyes, trying to remember. "She has darker skin than me, but it still looks like it's the same colour. And her eyes are strange."

"Strange, how?"

"They were always changing colours. I don't think people are meant to have purple eyes, Tony."

"No, I don't think so either. What else do you remember?"

"She smokes." David's nose wrinkled as he continued. "I could always smell the smoke when she came near me. It was yucky."

"Did you ever see her smoking?"

"Once. She was doing it in the driveway while my dad was looking for something in his car."

"Did your dad say anything to her?"

"No. He didn't see it, I don't think. He was inside his car at the time."

"Okay. Do you remember anything else?"

"Sometimes, my dad would give them bags. I never saw what was in them until the last time they came together, in normal clothes, not police clothes."

"What was in it?" Tony thought he knew what was coming. He had found the link he needed to connect the dead corporal to drugs.

"Powder. It was white. But it was also kind of lumpy, not smooth like the powder my babysitter showed me how to put on my body after a shower."

Tony stood up. "Thank you, David," he said as he gave the child a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I'm going to go and speak to my boss about taking you home for the weekend, alright?"

David's eyes lit up. "Thank you! I really do like you lots!"

Tony smiled. "I like you a lot, too, David. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Tony!" David waved until Tony couldn't see him anymore.


	13. Chapter 13

"Did David give you anything useful?" Gibbs asked as he and Tony were driving back to NCIS.

"Actually, he did. I need to do some research, but I feel that I now know how his father was linked to drugs," answered Tony.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Tony almost said yes, but then changed his mind. "No, I'm not. I have a headache, I'm tired, and I think that this case is starting to be too much," admitted Tony as his stomach growled. "And, I guess I might be hungry, too," he laughed.

Gibbs smiled. They had missed lunch, something that Tony was always quick to point out. Lately, Tony had been less vocal about appropriate meal times, sadly. It was good to see that Tony was beginning to return to normal. "David made you smile about something," said Gibbs as he pulled into a car park for a small diner. "What did he say?"

Tony frowned as he tried to figure out what his boss was talking about. "Uh... oh! David asked if I would take him home for the weekend. He must really like me, Gibbs."

"Of course he does. Maybe he doesn't know what you went through in the past, Tony, but he certainly feels a connection with you, just the same as you have a connection with him. He's gravitated towards you from the moment you introduced yourself at the crime scene."

"I want to take him home," Tony continued, barely hearing what Gibbs was saying. "I really like him, and I wouldn't mind having someone to share my apartment with."

"You need to speak to Vance and social services about that."

"Do you think Vance will let me have David for the weekend?"

"I'll pull some strings for you. If we say that it's for his own protection..."

"Wait!" exclaimed Tony suddenly, just as they were about to step into the diner. "David will need protection. If what he told me turns out to be correct, then he's a witness to two police officers buying drugs from his father. We'll need to keep him safe from them."

Gibbs grinned to himself. His old Tony was certainly coming back. This case was tough, no doubt about it, but it was exactly what Tony needed to focus himself again. "Well, Tony, you may have just made your case. We'll give that exact speech to Vance when we get back to work. If he agrees to you taking in David, at least until the case is over, then social services probably won't have a problem with it. Jessie likes you enough and knows that you'll keep her charge safe."

"I need to go shopping, though. I need some more groceries, and David will need some clothes and toys. Maybe a couple of books and a movie or two."

"Hold it, Tony." Gibbs stopped his senior agent before they got to the counter to order food. "Take things one step at a time. Vance needs to approve this first, then social services need to be okay with it. If we pass those two hurdles, then we can think about what to buy. Although," thought Gibbs, "you certainly could use more groceries in your apartment. We'll go to the supermarket after work before I drop you at home."

* * *

"What can I do for you, Agent DiNozzo?" asked Vance when Tony sat across from him in his office.

"I need to ask you for permission for something, sir," answered Tony.

"What are you asking permission for?"

"I want to take in David. He's the child in our case, the one that killed his father in self-defence."

"I know who he is. Why do you want to take him in?"

"To keep him safe. He can identify two people that were buying drugs off his father. If they find out he knows about them, he'll be in danger."

"How will they find out about David?"

"They are both in the Metro Police Department. One is an officer, the other is a detective."

Vance was shocked. He thought that the police department had finally weeded out their corrupt officers. "Well, Agent DiNozzo... taking care of a child is a huge task. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Very sure. We get along really well. I babysit some of the children in my apartment building on weekends, so it's not like I don't know how to take care of a child. One of them is a six month old baby."

Vance couldn't argue with that. He thought about a reason why he should deny Tony's request, but he truly couldn't think of one. with a sigh, he said, "Fine. You can take David this weekend. However, you are not to pick him up until Friday afternoon. You may keep him until the case is over, then he is to be returned to social services until they find a permament home for him. Is that clear?"

"Crystal. Although, once the case is closed, I can do what I want to." Tony smiled smugly when Vance glared at him. He left with a bright, happy smile on his face.

* * *

"What happened up there, Tony?" Gibbs asked once Tony reached his desk.

"I'm taking David home with me until we close this case," answered Tony. "Vance said to not get used to it, because I will have to give him back afterwards, but once the case is closed, I can do what I want. I made that very clear to Vance, and I don't think he liked it."

Gibbs grinned. "Good job, Tony."

"Can you come with me to get what I need before Friday?"

"Of course. Maybe tonight, we'll stop for groceries, okay?"

Tony nodded. "Thanks, boss."


End file.
